Milly and Olly

ory of

Table of

time there w

ll soon be getting tired of 'Once u

s, wait till I get to the end of my sentence.

a hero?"

rave man that's always fighting and kill

mber of other brave men who were his friends, and helped him in his battles. And one day a messenger came over the sea from another country close by, called Denmark, and the messenger said, 'Which of all you brave men will come over and help my master, King Hrothgar, who is in sore trouble?' And the messenger told them how Hrothgar, for many years past, had been plagued by a monster-the hateful monster Grendel-half a man and half a beast, who lived at the bottom of a great bog near the king's palace. Every night, he said, Grendel the monster came

to get to sleep, and some of them thought as they lay there that very likely they should never see their homes in Sweden again. But they were tired with journeying and feasting, and one after another they all fell asleep. Then in the dead of the night, when all was still, Grendel rose up out of the bog, and came stalking over the moor to the palace. His eyes flamed with a kind of horrible light in the darkness, and his steps seemed to shake the earth; but those inside the palace were sleeping so heavily that they heard nothing, not even when Grendel burst open the door of the hall and came in among them. Before anyone had wa

is bog, and there he sank down into the middle of the bog, wailing and shrieking like one whose last hour was come. Then there was great rejoicing at Heorot, the pala

ar's dearest friends-a young noble whom he loved best of all his nobles. And she killed him, and carried his body back to the bog. Then the next morning there was grief and weeping in Heorot; but Beowulf said to the king, 'Grieve not, O king! till we have found out Grendel'

rees, which seemed as if they had been poisoned by the air rising from the water beneath them. No bird or beast would ever come near Grendel's pool. If the hounds were hunting a stag, and they drove him down to the edge, he would sooner let them tear him to pieces than hide himself in the water. And every night the black water seemed to burn and flame, and it hissed

coming. Then she sprang upon him, and seized him, and dragged him down, and he found himself in a sort of hall under the water, with a pale strange light in it. And then he turned from the horrible water-wolf and raised his sword and struck her on the head; but his blow did her no harm. No sword made by mortal men could harm Grendel or his mother; and as he struck her Beowulf stumbled and fell. Then the water-wolf rushed forward and sat upon him as he lay ther

away, and there was nothing left in his hands but the hilt, with strange letters on it, telling how it was made in old days by the giants for a great king. So with that, and Hrothgar's sword and Gr

troubled by these hateful monsters, but that the ploughers might plough, and the shepherds might lea

y, breathlessly, when h

is father with wide open brown eyes, and a face as grav

on. "Why, Olly, where are your little wit

reath. "I did think he would neve

n't understand about that pool. Why didn't Beowul

d something magical about them so that they were able to do things that men and women can't do now. Do you know,

t fancy it a bit, father. It's too long. It

years!" said Olly. "When father

dfathers, and grandfathers' grandfathers, to get back to the time when the story of Beowulf was made. And here

said Milly. "And then when they grew up they told it to their children. I shall t

Olly, "did Be

t, and then he died. And when he was dead they carried him up to the rock, and there they burned his body, and then they built up a great high mound of earth, and they put Beowulf's bones inside, and all the treasure from the dragon's cave. They were ten days building up the mound. Then when it was all done they rode around it weeping and chanting sorrowful songs, and at last they left him there, saying as they went away that never should they see so good a king or so true a master any more

as so greedy for stories that he could almo

out, and they could hardly believe their eyes when they saw that it had actually stopped raining, and

stay there and get bigger. We'll get on our hats presently and come out to look at you. Oh! there's John Backh

persisted Olly, who hated being cheated out of

hree whole days. I promised you my story on a wet day, and you shall have it-never fear. There'll be plenty more wet days before you go away from Rave

er said "Yes, if you like," the two children raced off down t

to see their brown shallow little river turned into a raging flood of water, which went sweeping and hurrying through the fields, and every now and then spreading itself over them and making great pools among the poor drowned hay. They ran

coming up to them, "I don't suppos

er with great excitement, "the water would push us dow

Master Fatty," said his father. "Come, r

e sky, as if the rain had washed the dust off them from top to toe, and left them clean and bright. Two things only seemed the worse for the rain-the hay and the wild strawberries. Milly peered into all the banks along the road where she generally found her fa

m afraid his hay is a good deal spoilt. Ar

to be like Becky, and call the cows, and mind the baby all by myself. It must

d your corn beaten down, and your fruit all spoilt? Those are things that a

"I don't think I should like to stay in that little weeny house

s and weeks. On Christmas eve, do you know, Milly, I wanted to have a children's party in my kitc

sledges?"

e farmhouses near by, and gathered up the children, little and big, into the sledges, till the coachman had got eight in his sledge, and the gardener had got nine in his, and then they came trotting back with the bell

oo, Aunt Emma? We could have come quite well in the

in the sledges. And they looked so happy with their toys and buns

Aunt Emma," said Milly, hang

s not likely to let you come to my Christmas tree unless you promise to fly there

illy, "come to our Christmas tree, Aunt Emma. We'll give you e

u shall give her some muffetees, you know, to keep her hands warm, and I'l

and suddenly they heard somebody roaring and screaming, and then an angry

which was open. But just as she got there, out rushed a tattered

rds the cherry tree, and in another minute, in spite of the shower of wet she shook down on herself as she cli

re perhaps as you will indoors. Oh, is that you, Miss Elliot (that was Aunt Emma's surname)? Walk in please, ma'am, though you'll find me sa

lean kitchen floor there were streams of water running about, with little pieces of cabbage and carrot sticking up in them here and there, while on the kit

tail, till the poor creature was nearly beside herself with fright, and went rushing about upstairs like a mad thing. And then, just when I happened to be out a minute looking after something, she lets the cat in here, and the poor thing jumps into the saucepan I had just put

r with a grave imploring little face. "Don't let Mr. Backhous

ong. "I don't know what I'm to give John for his supper, that I don't. I had nothing in the house but just those little odds and ends of meat, that I thought would make a nice bit

uickly to Aunt Emma, slipped out into the garden again. By this time father and mother had come up, and Becky appeared from the farmyard, wheeling the

cky and Tiza had taught her a good deal of climbing, she too clambered up into the wet branches, and was

putting her hand on Tiza's

ans

ea with us," said Milly, "do you th

ly, without moving fro

alking to Tiza. Milly thought s

do your father and mother te

tonished voice, throwing down

you do, Tiza,

tea, and sometimes Becky minds the baby and so

dly, "did you mean pussy

rst into such fits of laughter, that she nearly tumbled off the cherry tree. "Oh, she did jump so, and the mug made such a rattling! And whe

o, till she remembered all that

father won't have anything for his supper

ow father'll beat me, he said he

went up in earnest, and T

beg him not. Can't you make up anyway? Mother says we must always make up if

looked at Milly, with a bright ex

nging herself down from the tree. "Come he

ner where the hayricks were. In and out of the hayricks they went, till in the very farthest corner of all, where hardly anybody ever

ly to Milly, pulling her by the

nd, what do you think she saw? Three large brownish eggs lying in a sort of rough nest in t

e-utiful! How di

them just after dinner. Mother doesn't know nothing about

little brown hands, and laid it against he

or supper. That would be a lovely make up. There's three. One for Mr. Backho

Tiza shortly. "Father'll want two. Be

ng, Tiza, let's

ther won't want to see me no more,

, you'll come

w," said Tiz

with the three brown eggs, feeling rather puzzled and anxious. However, she put them gently in the skirt

d Olly, had gone on for a little stroll along the Wanwick road, and Becky was sitting on the window-sill with the

r dinner to-day. They were under the hayrick right away in the corner, and she wanted to make up, so she showed me where they were, so

the three eggs lying in Milly's print s

n't find them. So it was Tiza found them, was it, Missy? Well, they will come,

away in a pie-dish, while Becky secretly pulled Milly

helping Tiza ou

and Tiza come to tea

house, looking puzzled; "Becky may come and welcome,

hug her. "I daresay staying indoors so long made her restless. If you will let me carry them both off, I daresay

s. Backhouse shouted "Tiza!" After a second or two a little figure dropped down out of the cherry tree and came slowly up the walk. Tiza had

ut to tea, you know, if Miss Elliot and Missy hadn't asked particular. Mind you don't get into no more mischief. And very

on and Olly were coming back from their walk, they met Aunt Emma coming bac

think you beat Olly for mischief. Olly never spoilt my dinner yet

oking up at Mr. Norton wi

that wouldn't do my dinner any go

Olly, who always believed firmly in his father's vari

bread-sauce. That's the best way to cook little boys. Now,

ter them. Milly led the way at first, for she was light and quick, and a very fair runner for her age; but Tiz

neck as they went into the house together, "I hope you

said Becky. "We go

y. "Why, we go ever so long before

about half-past eight; but in winter, of course, he goes earlier. And we al

lly, "I can't think why you sh

ter tea a romp in the big kitchen with father, which delighted the little farm children beyond measure. Some time in the evening, I believe, Aunt Emma managed